Gwinnett County Considering Three- or Five-Year SPLOST Extension

Gwinnett County wants a 2014 SPLOST program to be devoted 70-75 percent to transportation projects, and estimates that a five-year program could generate as much as $889 million, officials said Tuesday (June 4).

At a special county meeting with representatives of 16 cities called to formally begin the process, Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said a timetable for calling for a public vote would be July 16 -- the cmmission's final meeting that month. By that time, county and city officials could have an agreement in place.

A vote on whether the public wants to renew the current 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which expires in 2013, would be held Nov. 5.

However, the length of the new tax still is up in the air. County Finance Director Maria Woods said a three-year tax would put the county on the presidential election cycle. A five-year tax would put Gwinnett on the Georgia gubernatorial election cycle.

A three-year tax could generate up to $498 million, Woods estimated.

No matter what, Nash said county and city officials have a selling job to do with voters.

"In my 35 years with county government ... I've never seen quite as much of a negative attitude toward government as I'm seeing now," Nash told representatives of Gwinnett cities who attended the meeting at Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville.

Do you favor a new SPLOST for Gwinnett? Three or five years? Share your opinions in the comments below.

~ Suwanee Patch